


Our Future; Our Story

by chiliadal



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ambiguous Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I indulged and made this shippy af, Mention of Character Death, Mentions of Alcohol Consumption, Modern AU, Other, ambiguous WoL, can you guys believe it's almost been a year and I still love this ghost man, felt like going with a modern au to make it official, hey i like writing fics once a year and this is what you get :), i hope i didn't butcher ardbert ;-;, lots of introspection, there's some kissing but not much else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24544588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiliadal/pseuds/chiliadal
Summary: ("You would have been good friends, you and Ardbert. In another life.") In another life, you still suffer loss of a dear friend. In that life, you have someone there to comfort you in dark moment. He's your best friend. He's more than that...
Relationships: Ardbert & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Ardbert/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	Our Future; Our Story

**Author's Note:**

> I really only get hit by that writing bug once a year it seems. Anyway, I still really love Ardbert and I opted to write something shippy and self-indulgent. I hope you enjoy. And thanks for those who commented on my last fic. I see you! I appreciate you!

You’re a mess. Of course you’re a mess. Why wouldn’t you be a mess? 

Everyone tip-toes around the subject, knowing how hard it is on you. Everyone you know offers their condolences but it’s really hard not to break down crying. Especially when… you could have… but you can’t have those kinds of thoughts. So you strive to just keep afloat, just keep moving forward, even if each step hurts to do so.

Alphi does check in on you, you’re thankful for that but you don’t have the heart to tell him that it stings when he brings you hot chocolate to soothe your aching heart. You can’t tell him that it’s painful to be reminded of someone who is no longer here. You smile and thank him for coming to check on you, but once he’s gone you feel the tears drip down your face. 

You brush those thoughts away as you lay on the bed, hopeless and drunk off your mind. 

It’s easier, you suppose, with alcohol. Numbs the pain. Numbs your mind. For a minute, you almost don’t hear your phone ring but the light brightens your dark room and your hand slaps the nightstand, trying to reach for it. A bit of a stretch with the way you’re lying down but you manage and answer. 

_Hello?_

At least you think you said hello. Hells if you know. 

“Ha, didn’t think you’d answer.” The voice is familiar. His name is on the tip of your tongue before you slur his nickname: _Ardy?_ “Wow, drunk as a skunk, you are. Hurry up and answer your door already.” He hangs up before you can even comprehend what he said to you. Still, you pull yourself out of your bed and drag yourself to the front door. Stupid best friend, coming to check on you. 

Stumbling into the living room, you head for the front door. When you do manage to unlock the door and open it, he takes one good look at you, half-dressed and a literal mess of a person and raises a brow. You roll your eyes in return but shuffle to the side to let him in, which he does so. In hand, he carries a grocery sack of unknown items. You squint at this but don’t mention it. You follow behind him as he moves past your living room and straight to the kitchen. You may not be smart all the time, but you can put two and two together and you know that equals four sometimes. So, following him into the kitchen, you watch as he unpacks and starts placing out ingredients. You frown. 

“What? I know for a fact you didn’t eat today.” You open your mouth to argue back, but he pushes the conversation forward. Which is very much like him. “Look, it’ll help lessen the killer headache you’ll have tomorrow. I’m just watching out for my friend’s well-being.” You roll your eyes at him again and he ends up with that dumb smile on his lips, so you agree to eat. 

Besides, he’s right. You didn’t eat much today, if at all. Not that you’d tell him that. 

Ardbert is a surprisingly decent cook, if you were being honest. He makes something rather quickly and it smells so good, you almost start to salivate. Ugh, why did your stomach betray you with a loud growl. He even starts to laugh and tease you. It’s all in good fun and even if your heart feels heavy, you feel a little better having someone here. Maybe you were being too hard on Alphi earlier. You should tell him that you appreciate him trying. 

“Eat up then. I didn’t come all the way over here to have you gawk at the meal I put so much work into.”

_You put so much work into it. Ten whole minutes. Amaaaazing._

He crosses his arms at you. “I didn’t come to deal with your drunken sass either. Eat it or I’ll eat it all myself.” And he would too! Ardbert didn’t make light on his threats. You grumble but graciously eat. 

It doesn’t even take you long to consume the whole plate clean. It was a decently greasy meal, so by the time you finish, you can feel your mind clearing up. He places a glass of water nearby and you drink it without a second thought. It isn’t alcohol but it’s better than that. For now, anyway. You begin to feel more like a person once you have your fill of food and your thirst quenched. A deep inhale and you try not to let your mind wander. Ardbert doesn’t either as he pushes you to the sink. You’re confused by the gesture but all he says is “Puffy eyes.” and takes a rag, putting it under some water and wiping off your face. 

Yeah, he knows you were crying. 

Ardbert and you have been good friends for a long time now. Best friends, even. The two of you hit it off and though you haven’t hung out with him lately, the fact he went out of his way to come by to care for you, it means a lot. During that whole incident a few years back... it makes sense. You cared for him then just as he cares for you now. 

He’s looking at you and you look back at him, almost suddenly aware of how intimately close the two of you are. You can almost feel your heartbeat and his in sync and in that same vein, they’re both beating faster. He stops, as if he’s searching for something to say and can’t find the words. You’re lost for a moment, forgetting what you were thinking about before. There isn’t anything the two of you can say right now. You’re simply aware of each other’s presence and that something is going on between you right now. 

Finally, your eyes glance away from him and he steps back, the spell broken. You laugh awkwardly and tell him thanks. You feel a lot better now. He’s rubbing the back of his neck, red painting his cheeks slightly. 

“Yeah, no problem.” It grows quiet and you have a moment of struggling to figure out how to make things less awkward. Your mind goes full throttle and quickly, you ask if he wants to dance. You stumble a bit but there is a radio in your kitchen and you shakingly start to mess with it. “You… want to dance?”

_Yeah? When’s the last time you dance? Unless you’re saying you’re awful at it._

Ardbert scoffs. “I can manage. You think you can keep up with me?” 

You raise a brow. Okay, he’s really going to be cocky about this? The music doesn’t matter at this point as you tug at him and pull him into a dance. He stumbles and you laugh at him, asking where all that bravado went? He responds by taking the lead and swinging you around, forcing you to keep up even though your coordination isn’t at your best right at this moment. Like you thought earlier, you are only smart sometimes. 

This lasts for a good few minutes, the music matching your tempo. You’re laughing, he’s laughing. Your friendship is easy with him; you’re glad someone pulled you from the loneliness that came with loss. You _know_ him, you know he’d go out of his way for others. Not just his friends, but for people in general. Words could never really express how much respect and admiration you have for him. Maybe you don’t need them. 

The music slows and in turn, the two of you slow down to match. You don’t say much and he doesn’t make idle chit-chat as he pulls you close, holding you against him. It’s just dancing, you tell yourself. It doesn’t matter if you feel his heartbeat once more. You can’t deny that this feels nice, that it feels right. It’s fine to be selfish, as the two of you take turns leading. 

**If I could begin to do something that does right by you  
** **I would do about anything**  
**I would even learn how to love...**

Hands grasped hold tightly of each other, the two of you swaying back and forth. You keep your eyes anywhere but near his face. You know what happened earlier will take hold of you once more and you’re not sure if you’re ready for that right now. He doesn’t push for it though, so the two of you dance. A silly request but one you’re glad you made. 

Deciding to take a leap of faith, you finally look at him and you suck in a breath. You’ve seen Ardbert with a variety of expressions prior to this. You’ve seen him angry, you’ve seen him happy, you’ve seen him upset, you’ve seen him doubting himself… you’ve been there for him. As his friend and as someone who cares for his well-being. Yet, you’ve never seen him look at you the way he is right now. You can’t find the words, or rather, you can but you’re afraid to. You don’t want to say it’s just fondness, just a soft expression of adoration. You can’t say that. Because it would be admitting that there is something there and it makes your stomach flip at the thought. There has been a longing and yearning you’ve had but long since given up on simply because you could never force those feelings onto him. And hells, even if you could admit it to him and he reciprocated, you’d be too much of a mess to know what to do next. 

You’re a mess even now. You’re still a little drunk. 

A hand finds its way to your back and you’re closer to him now, your eyes lost in his. There is an electric current flowing between the two of you, making you very much aware of the attraction between the two of you. His face is closer to yours now, you’re unsure if pulling away will give him the wrong idea. You want to let him know, you want to tell him, but you lack confidence even now.

That doesn’t mean he won’t take the first step. He leans in but stops before doing anything. “Can I…?”

Ardbert is a good person. He’d never push for anything that wasn’t mutual. 

_Please._

The kiss is hesitant, almost shy. If your face wasn’t burning, you might have laughed and teased him, but once the awkwardness of kissing your best friend for the first time is over, he leans in more. It’s sweet at first but his hand pressing into your back and the hints of hunger shine through. You deepen the kiss and he gladly accepts it. You barely have time to wonder what is happening as he wraps his arms around you.Crying and mourning the loss of a dear friend, drunken stupor and a warm meal, laughter and care, dancing and kissing. It hits you full force and you kiss him fully to remind yourself that he’s everything you want. You can’t tell him that through words, but you can show him. You can show him **that**.

When Ardbert pulls back, not too much, there is a smile on his lips and a spark in his eyes. He’s beautiful to you, handsome, and you want to tell him that. Maybe you will as you both look away, happy at the revelation of your mutual feelings. He’s smart enough to dance with you once more, the music still slow and easygoing. You don’t say anything, just indulging in this moment of solace. 

The loss still hurts your heart and soul. You can still feel it clutching your heart tightly and squeezing. Yet, in these moments of tragedy, you find someone who reminds you to grieve but don’t become lost in that grief. Ardbert is there for you, to help you back on your feet, to dust you off, and push you along. 

Perhaps that’s all you need in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Y'know, I did have a sequel for Bedtime Tales in the works so I'll see if I can get that finished. This motivated me somewhat. Hope the fic was alright. I really was feeling a modern au for these two.


End file.
